Safety appliance for train lines



Jan. 29, 1929.

c. STERN SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR TRAIN muss Original Filed April 12, 1926 Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

NlE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STERN, F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOE, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AIR/DUO MANUFAC'IURING COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA 'IION OF DELAWARE.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR TRAIN LINES.

Application fi1ed April 12, 1926, Serial No. 101,605. Renewed March 1, 1928.

The present invention relates to improvements in safety appliance for train lines, and more particularly refers to an automatic device for bleeding the air line in emergency cases where the angle cock is accidentally or willfully shut-off.

The closing of the angle cock either by accident or by mischievous persons, cuts oil from the engineer the control of the train line pressure and this hasbcen known to be the cause of many accidents.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a device which may be installed as an accessory with the existing equipment to automatically exhaust the air from the air line whenever the angle cock shall be closed.

The invention also contemplates the use of an additional valve coupled to the flexible hose for controlling this air line pressure, whereby the air pressure may be retained in the individual car line when disconnected for testing and other purposes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary'side view, with parts in section, showing a railway car with the improved appliance thereon and showing the uncoupled position of the parts.

Figure 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale showing the coupled position of the parts.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the connection between the,

angle cock and emergency valve, and

Figure l is a side view of the control valve.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 designates generally a freight or other railway car having the coupling 6 and the train line 7. This train line includes, in accordance with the usual practice, a flexible hose 8 having a coupling head 9 at its free end for coupling with a similar head upon the next car in the train.

The train line 7 is provided with the angle cook 10 having the usual handle 11 by which it is opened and closed.

In accordance with the invention a control valve 12 is placed in communication with the train line 7 back of the angle cock 10,

and this control. valve 12 is in communication by means of a pipe 13 with an emergency valve 1% having the vent 15 to the atmosphere and also,'if desired, a whistle or other signal device 16 sounded by the issuing air pressure from the train line when the control and emergency valves are both open. The control valve body 17 within the easing 12 is provided with the port 18 passing diametrically therethrough. This valve is also provided with the circumferential passages 19 and 20 leading fromopposite ends of the port in opposite directions, whereby the port 18 will be opened on a very'small angular movement of the valve body 17.

The casing of the control valve may be connected to the train line 7 by the use of a nipple 21 engaging in a T coupling 22' included as a part of the train line 7.

The emergency valve 1% may be constructed in any appropriate manner and preferably includes the tapered valve body 23 having the diametric port 24 similar to the port 18 of the control valve. The emergency valve also preferably has similar circumferential passages for venting pipe/ 13 and the trainlino pressure on a very small angular movement of the emergency valve body 28. The emergency valve body23 is provided with a stem 25 to which is connected the handle 26. This handle is mechanically or otherwise connected to the handle 1 lot the angle cook 10. In the form shown in the drawings the handle 10 of the. angle cock is modified by providing a forked end 27 adapted to receive slidably therein the down-turned end of the emergency valve handle 26.

The control valve body 17 is mounted upon a shaft 28 to which is secured one end of an arm 29. A coil spring 30 is wound about the shaft 28 and connected to the control casing 12 and to the arm 29 is such way as to normally rotate the valve body 17 to the closed position. Any other arrangement may be employed for normally holding the control valve in the closed position.

A flexible cable 31 is secured to the free end of the arm 29 and passed beneath a pulley 32 carried in the bracket 33 which is swivelly supported as indicated at 34 on the end of a supporting arm 35. This supporting arm may be aflixed to the car or to any of the parts thereof. The other end of the flexible cable or chain is secured to a collar or other appropriate device 36 on the flexible hose 8 or coupling head 9.

In the operation of the invention the parts are normally in the position shown in Figure 1, the pressure upon the flexible chain or connection 31 being released, the coil spring 30 or other device automatically holds the control valve in the closed position to prevent any undue leakage in the air pressure. The angle cock 10 is also closed, this being closed by the train-man prior to uncoupling the heads 9 of the two cars.

In the closed position of the angle cock 10, the emergency valve is placed in the open position by reason of the connections between these two valves. It will be understood that while I have described one form of mechanical connection, many other forms of connection could be used between the two valves to insure that when one of these valves was closed the other would be opened.

When, in the act of coupling the hose connections of two cars together, the head 9 and hose 8 are lifted, the flexible connection is drawn upon causing the arm 29 to be pulled down to the position shown in Figure 2, whereby opening the control valve and placing the train line pressure in access to the emergency valve 14.

The train-man will, of course, open the angle cook 10 at the same time as coupling the heads 9 and this will act to close the emergency valve so that the train line pressure may not escape.

Figure 2 of the drawings shows the running position of the various parts. Should the angle cock 10 become accidentally or otherwise closed, due to the mechanical connection referred to, the emergency valve must at the same time be opened, the control valve 1? being open in the running position, the train line will be vented thus automatically applying the brakes and also sounding the signal, if it is deemed advisable to use such signal in connection with the device.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. In combination with a railway car train line having a flexible end coupling, and an angle cock, of a control valve in communication with the train line independently of the angle cock, means for opening the control valve in the act of coupling said coupling end to a similar end on an adjacent car, an emergency valve in communication with the air line through said control valve and for venting the air line, and means whereby said emergency valve will be opened whenever the angle cock is closed.

2. In combination with a railway car having a train line with a flexible coupling end and an an le cock therein, of a control valve in communication with the train line pressure independently of the angle cock, means to normally close said control valve, a connection between said control valve and the coupling end for opening the control valve when such coupling end is raised, an emergency valve in connection with the train line pressure through said control valve and having a vent to the atmosphere, and connections between said angle cock and the emergency valve for requiring that one valve be closed when the other is opened.

3. In combination with a railway car having a train air line with a flexible coupling end, and an angle cock in the air .line, an emergency valve in communication with the train line air pressure independently of the angle cock, and constructed to vent the train line pressure when said emergency valve is opened, a signalling device operable by the escaping air pressure from said emergency valve, and means coupling said angle cock and emergency valve whereby the latter will be opened when the angle cock is closed.

4. In combination with a railway car having a train air line with a flexible coupling end, and an angle cock in the air line, an

emergency valve coupled for conjoint operation with said angle cock whereby the emergency valve will be opened when the angle cock is closed and will be closed automatically when the angle cock is opened, said emergency valve having a vent to the atmosphere, a pipe connection from said emergency valve to the train line pressure independently of said angle cook, a normally and yieldably closed control valve in said pipe connection, and a flexible connection between said control valve and the flexible coupling end of the train line for opening said control valve when the flexible end is lifted in the act of coupling.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES STERN. 

